Vehicle-wheel.



- GEORGE- H. WlLLlAMS, OF LOS'ANGELES, (lALlFOliNIi-M VEHICLE-WHEEL,

. Specification of Letters' Patent Patented March 6, 1906.

Application nedeu'gnsisi, 1905. strain. 276,489.

To all whom t 7n/ay concern:

Be it known that 1, GEORGE H. `WiLLlAMs, a citizen ofthe United Stat-es,A residing at Los Angeles, in'the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia', have invented a new and useful Vehicle-WheeLoi which the following is a specification.

Thlsinvention relates. to a vehiclewvheel which will yield' elastically to jar or vibrate in a vertical plane,I or hub members andan outer or tire member, and elastic connecting'or between said members.

' The main object of the invention is to pro#V vide for elastic support for the inner member within the outermember in suc-h manner that at no pointol tliecircumference will there be an excessive resistance to the l'desired 4relative movement of the members. Connections which have hitherto been proposed for this purpose are generallydefective in that while theyxprovide a yielding support at the bot- 'is negatived by the rigidity at t-lie sides. invention provides elastic tweenthe inner and outer members which vwill yield not only tom and top of the yielding members they are" relatively rigid at the sides of the wheels, so that the yielding effect at the top and bottom My at the top and. bottoni parts of the Wheel, but also at the sides, so that the resistance ments is substantially equalized through the circumference of the wheel being practically the same. at the sides as the top and bottom. This not only gives a more eilective cushioning action,but equalizes the strain on the inner and outer members.

A further object 'of the invention -is to providefora limited amount of rotary or transverse movement Ao1 the innerl and outer inembers, thereby easing upthe strain` in starting and stopping. I

Another object of the invention is to eil'ectually brace the "wheel members against movement transverse to, the plane of the Wheel.

Another object'oi the invention is to provide 'for rotection of the yielding parts ol' the wheelpfrom dust anddirt.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

F igureil is a side elevation of the wheel particularly adapted for automobiles with part of the side casing removed. Fig.` 2 is a section on line m2 x2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side View of the wheel suitable for bicycles or different forni of wheel-rim.

the wheel comprising inner Aber 1 and an outer or tire member supporting means' 'tic connections 6. y sist of leaf or plat-e springs formed ,of strips of connections be to relative vertical move-` strengthen it.

Fig. 4is a section onA line :r4 fr* Fig. 5 is a transverse section of a Fig. 6 is a detail erspectiveo'f one ol the springs for elastical j connecting the wheel members, showin'J thel saine in extended-or ui'ibent position an showing a dierent fastening means for the members thereof' from that shown yin Figs. l toll.

The Wheel comprises an inner or hub meni- 2, the inner meinber being furnished with a rim 3, attached by-spok'es'4 to hub 5, and the outer member consisting of a rim which is-connected to the inner member by yielding elas- Said elastic .means conligiii wheels, in Fig. 3.

thesteel or suitable elast-ic material (see Fig. 6) bent to- UlshapeLone end of each of said springs being attached to the inner rini 3 and t' e other end .to the' outer rim 2. Said springs arepreferbly bent or sprung into shape against the action of their own resilience; so that theytend to resume an err-- tended or straight condition, thereby in(I reasling the-elastic effect in supporting the inner members4 Each spring device 6 mayhave one or more reinforcing or inner U-shaped spring or springs 6 bent -within it to brace or In Figs. l to 4 the inner spring is shown as fastened to the spring 6 b y screws 7; butininase it is desired to avoid weakening of the spring metal dueto the screw-holes av clamp may be provided consisting ot two stripsS, (see Fig. 6,) embracing the springs 6 6 between them and clamping them firmly together.

Referring now to Figs. l and 2, showing an automobilewheel, the outer and inner rims 3 are assumed to be of wood, being, for eX- ainple, laminated wood of well-known e011-, struction.

Rings 9 l() are secured, respectively, wit'hin rim 2 and on the periphery of rim 3 by screws o r bolts 11 passing through to the opposite face of the rim and fastened by nuts 11 thereat. These rings 9 10 form metal bearings for the cushioning-springs 6, whose ends rest tangential@V on said rings and are secured thereto by clamp-plates or bars 13, fastened by screws l-l extending through'tlie springs and into rings 9 l0, said clamps or bars having turned-over ends 13 to engage the edges ot the spring 6 and rings 9 10 to lock or hold the parts firmly against lateral inoven'ient. Each spring thus com- IOO IOS

' prises inner and outer members, the outer spring member being bent in U form with t e ends thereof lying flat against the inner and outer wheel members and fastened at their extremities to said Wheel members, and the inner spring member being fastened within the outer spring member at the bend thereof and having its ends extending within and against the outer spring member, but terminating short of the fastened portions/at the ends thereof. This construction. gives a 'maximum of iexibility and at the same time great strength, as the extended contact of the inner and outer springmembers with one another and with the inner and outer wheel members gives a great Weight-supporting calpacity Without interfering with the exibi ity. The fastening of the spring at the extremities thereof -to the inner and outer wheel members is also important, since if the springs projected beyond the fastening parts there would be a much stronger resistance to bending of the spring. y

15 designates a pneumatic or cushion tire secured on an outer rim 2 by side strips or4 plates 16, fastened by screws 16.

Wall -plates or casingpieces 17 may be provided at the sides of the wheel, said plates being fastened by screws 18 to rim 2 and sliding alongside the rim 3 within guard plates.

or rings 19, fastened on. rim 3 by .screws 20. This construction prevents access of dust, or dirt to the spring parts. 1

The pneumatic cushion-15 may be omit.`

ted, for example, in applying the invention to a lighter wheel, such' as a bicycle-wheel,

(see Figs. 3 and 4,) and in that case the outer rim 2 may have a metal tire 21 to takethe Wear of traction, sufficient elasticity being given by the spring-supports 6.

Instead of Wooden rims with metal reinforcements whole metal rims may be used, the outer rim 2, for example, being made of 'Piron or lI-beam, as shown in Fig. 5, its'jend anges 22 serving on the inner side to confine or brace the springs 6 and on the outer side to form a seat for the tire, which in this gure is shown as a solidecushion tire.

When thev wheel is in use as a tractionwheel and power is applied to its hub to propel it in a forward movement, the-spring members 6 are bent upon themselves, thus allowing of a certain amount of forward movement of the inner member of the wheel 'before the outer member or eriphery of the Thisis specia yadvantageous w'heel moves.

in case of automobiles on account of the attending jerk of the engines when changing from a low gear to a higher. gear.

ytending and fastened'in the bend of the outer Ispringmem-ber andf extending freely withinv and against the'at'portions of the outer' spring member, butterminating short of the fasteningsthereof.-

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand, at Los Angeles,(lalifornia, this 24th day of August, 1,905,

GEORGE H. WILLI/ins. In presence of- F. M. ToWNsEND,

VERNA. TALBERT. i 

